


Whispers In The Dark

by Rxchello



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, But not that bad either, Canon Compliant, Dark, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Heavy Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Torture, Lance is an observant boy, Love, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Pain, Pre-S6 - Freeform, Semi-OOC Keith, Song Inspired, Suffering for Love, Triggers, not everyone's cup of tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 14:54:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15709488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rxchello/pseuds/Rxchello
Summary: ~Despite the lies that you're making / Your love is mine for the taking /My love is / Just waiting /To turn your tears to roses~~You feel so lonely and ragged/ You lay here broken and naked / My love is / Just waiting / To clothe you in crimson roses~Kuron has a magic trick that can help Keith get to Shiro, despite him being in the Astral Plane.(Pre-S6. Sort of canon compliant despite the magic aspect and the fact we didn't know about Shiro's real whereabouts until S6)





	Whispers In The Dark

**Author's Note:**

> I rediscovered Skillet the other day jammed the hell out of Whispers In The Dark, spawning this dark idea from some part of my head I'm not sure should be allowed to write again, haha. Enjoy!
> 
> Song link in case you want to jam as well:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chrPjWPG-nk

_~Despite the lies that you're making_

_Your love is mine for the taking_

_My love is_

_Just waiting_

_To turn your tears to roses~_

 

_~You feel so lonely and ragged_

_You lay here broken and naked_

_My love is_

_Just waiting_

_To clothe you in crimson roses~_

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first person to notice something was off with Shiro was Lance, but who would believe such a claim coming from him? No one took him seriously; he was the comedic relief of the team. He was content with that, but as time went on and he noticed just how much, say, _darker_ Shiro’s intents seemed to be behind his decisions, he went to the one person he knew wouldn’t believe him the most. If he got through to him, maybe the team would open up as well.

“Keith?” He called out from the doorway of the training deck, watching the hot headed leader of Voltron almost put a training bot into a headlock out of frustration.

“What?” Keith snapped as Lance was caught in a trance. Was Keith starting to turn into a riot too? Was there something in the food?

“Can we talk for a minute?” He looked around to make sure they were alone, but still wasn’t comfortable being where the cameras could be seen. Be heard. “Somewhere private?”

“We’re the only ones here,” Keith gestured his blade around, ushering the sharpshooter closer. “What’s up?” Lance then pondered his next words carefully, studying the pale face in front of him grow more irritated by the minute. “Lance, I’m in the middle of traini-”

“I think something’s wrong with Shiro.” Apparently Lance decided being blunt was good enough. That shut Keith up real quick, but then he laughed.

“Oh yeah?”

“I’m being serious!” Lance threw his hands in the air, eyes glancing around the room again as if whatever was haunting Shiro was in the walls of the castle as well. “You can’t tell me the decisions he’s made recently haven’t worried you. How he even _looks_ at you. That’s not Shiro.” Keith would admit that the once proud and gentle glances Shiro would shoot his way now seemed to be floating, if not mirroring Keith’s just to hold face. Keith would never question Shiro though, so Lance was wasting his time.

“And you’re coming to me instead of the team because?”

“I mean you _are_ the leader,” Lance shrugged as if it was obvious. “Thought we came to you with problems. But you _know_ why I came to you.”

“He’s probably just stressed. We’ve had a lot going on lately.” Keith started the training bot back up, stepping past Lance to start fighting again. Lance quickly snapped his bayard out, shifting it into a gun and shooting the bot point blank, stunning Keith in the process.

“Listen to me! Just go talk to him or something!” Keith blinked at him then, really taking in how worried the Cuban seemed to be.

“Fine, fine,” Keith turned the bot off, the whole room clearing as he nodded towards Lance for confirmation. “But you go ask Hunk to make him and I milkshakes for after. He always gets a certain way after talks like you’re asking me to start and he deserves a treat after all the shit he’s been through.” And with that they parted ways, Keith heading to a room in the castle he was far-too familiar with for his own good.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had gotten to the point where Keith didn’t even need to knock anymore, so he simply let himself in to find Shiro flipping through a book from the castle library as he rested against his headboard.

“Whatcha’ reading?” Keith asked, sitting at the foot of the bed as Shiro subconsciously patted the bed for him to come closer.

“Just looking at some old Altean architecture sketches. Got bored. What’s wrong?” Shiro didn’t give a shit about architecture. How _stressed_ was he?

“How do you know something’s wrong?” It was a stupid question, but it still stunned Keith how well Shiro could read him.

“Are you really asking me that?” Shiro pulled Keith closer, resting his cheek on Keith’s head as he carded through the raven-colored locks. “Talk to me.”

“It’s just a concern Lance brought up to me,” Keith started, leaning his head into Shiro’s side until he physically couldn’t get any closer. “About you.” He blurted out, covering his hand after.

“He has a concern about me?” Shiro didn’t even sound hurt at the statement. Not curious either. It was like he was speaking out into the void.

“He came to me saying that you weren’t Shiro, which makes no sense because you _are_ Shiro. You’re living, breathing, _Shiro-ing_ ,” Keith climbed into Shiro’s lap, straddling his waist as he poked the older man’s cheek. “So I don’t understand where he’s coming from with such a stupid accusation--”

“But it’s not an accusation,” Keith’s hand stopped on Shiro’s cheek immediately. “I’m not Shiro.”

Keith couldn’t even move at that point. He just furrowed his brows as Shiro kept looking straight ahead, book on the floor and gaze sorrow.

“What are you talking about?” He quickly climbed off Shiro’s lap, retreating to the edge of the bed as if touching the man would burn him.

“I never knew how to tell any of you, and quite frankly it took me awhile to figure it out myself. I’m not Shiro.”

“Then w-who are you?” This wasn’t happening. Keith was imagining this right? Worked too hard in the training room, maybe passed out and is having a dream while the team is trying to wake him up.

“I believe I’m a clone of him.” That was enough for Keith to fly off the bed, standing like a rabid animal in the middle of Shiro’s room with his blade drawn.

“How is that possible? Who would even want to clone a human out here?”

“Shiro was a human, but he was also Haggar’s _champion_. Why wouldn’t she want to make more?” The clone sitting in front of him seemed so nonchalant about the situation, as if he was waiting for someone to bring it up so he could be his normal soulless self, and he didn’t know what hurt worse. The fact the clone didn’t care, or he couldn’t tell something was wrong with his Shiro.

His _Takashi._

He felt tears starting to fall from his eyes, and that seemed to be enough to cause the clone to snap into panic mode.

“But wait, wait!” The clone waved his hands in Keith’s face, ghosting his fingertips over the tears that fell from the violet eyes he stared at. He hurt.

“What’s stopping me from going and telling everyone right now, huh?” Keith threatened, tears still falling as he held the blade to the clone’s throat.

“I know how you can see the real Shiro, and if you expose me I won’t tell you,” The clone had the slightest hint of sympathy in his eyes, but Keith knew he had a motive to act this way. “So, do you want to see your precious world again, or can you stomach the thought of losing him forever?”

“Didn’t you just say you didn’t know how to tell us you were a clone? Don’t you want them to know?” Keith still wanted to cave at the threat, but he tried one last time at reasoning.

“On my own terms. Now hurry, your tears seem to be drying.” The clone wiped a fallen tear from Keith’s cheek, taking a moment to appreciate how soft his skin was before he continued.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Hot new tears formed in Keith’s eyes, spilling over as the clone simply shrugged. “What do I need to do to see Shiro?” He snapped, dropping the blade and almost lunging onto the clone. He knew better. That wasn’t his Shiro.

“Well, for one thing, you can call me Kuron. I figure we should become acquaintances as this will take both of our cooperation.” Kuron nodded, his eyes a light grey now flashing into a blinding lilac.

“Kuron.” Keith hissed, confirming his understanding.

“It’s a tad odd, how this works,” Kuron then placed his fingertips at the base of Keith’s eyes, running them down Keith’s cheek the same way his tears did. What was weird, however, was how Keith’s cheeks seem to dry at the touch, the tears missing as Kuron balled his hands into fists in front of Keith’s vision. “No tears, see?”

“What the-” Keith touched his face, nothing puffy, nothing wet. It was as if he hadn’t just cried. Hadn’t felt an emotion at all. Kuron then opened his fists, two small piles of rose petals in once empty hands. Keith’s eyes went wide, the scent of the roses flooding his nose immediately. Almost like a drug. Keith went to reach for them, but Kuron quickly snapped his hands shut, pulling them away. “Hey!”

“Nuh-uh, little paladin,” Kuron teased, opening his hands again further away from the Red Paladin. “You see, I can turn your tears into rose petals. But what’s the point in that you may ask? You see, when I throw these into the air, you will be teleported into the astral plane--”

“Astral plane?”

“That’s where Shiro is. You have until the rose petals form full roses, then you’ll be brought back into reality where I am. Simple enough?”

“I don’t understand what the astral plane is-”

“Simple enough! Good luck!” Kuron then threw the petals in the air, and the next thing Keith knew, he was made of stars.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_“Shiro?” He called out, his voice distorted as he caught a glimpse of the rose petals starting to form behind him. “Shiro, please! Are you actually here? Where are we--”_

_“Keith?” He heard a small gust of wind behind him, and there he was, the real black paladin. Keith’s lover. The real Shiro._

_“Shiro!” Keith ran over, throwing himself into Shiro’s arms that caught him. He wasn’t just an illusion. He caught Keith._

_“What are you doing here? How are you here?” Shiro blinked down at him, eyeing the rose petals following Keith around. “Are those petals?”_

_“You gotta tell me where we are! I know the Shiro in the castle isn’t you. How do I get you back?” Keith’s mind was running a mile a minute. All those nights he spent since rescuing Shiro wasn’t with the actual Shiro, and the thought made him sick to his stomach as his true partner was holding him in a bear hug._

_“You gotta tell me how you got here,” Shiro reiterated, slight panic in his voice as he saw a rose start to form. “What’s the rose for?” Keith shook his head, urging him to continue. “Fine, fine! We’re in the Astral plane. It’s a part of Black. She pulled me into after I--”_

_“After you what?”_

_“I,” Shiro shook his head, his grip loosening as he looked down. “I don’t know. I just know one minute I was in Galra captivity, next minute I was here. I’m not completely lost, but I’m definitely not at the castle right now. Black showed me that through her eyes. I don’t know who that is.”_

_“His name’s Kuron. He’s a clone of you.”_

_“I figured.”_

_“He turned my tears to those petals,” Keith pointed back at the rose which was midway to fruition. “I don’t know how, but he implied the only way I could see you was if I cried. He said I could come here once he threw the petals in the air, and only when they formed a complete rose I’d be thrown back into reality.”_

_“Then why are you here? Why were you crying?” Keith almost flinched at the protective glare in Shiro’s eye._

_“Because Lance helped me realize that wasn’t you,” Keith noticed Shiro’s gaze locked on the rose. “Why wouldn’t I cry? I’ve been living a lie for how long now--”_

_“You need to go, then.”_

_“Shiro--”_

_“I don’t want you here if you have to suffer for it.” Shiro then pulled him in and kissed his head, noticing the rose two petals away from sending Keith back._

_“But I need you-!”_

_“And I’ll get back to you, I promise, but please don’t come here if it’s at the expense of your happiness.”_

_“You are my happiness.” Shiro sighed then, resigning as the last petal floated towards the center._

_“Then only come if it’s an appropriate time and you’re crying on accident. A thought maybe. Just don’t do anything stupid to come here, okay? I’m watching over you in Black.” That sent a shiver down Keith’s spine as Shiro started to fade away, the feeling of Shiro’s hand around his waist lingering as he faded back into reality._

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Shiro?” Keith said breathlessly, Kuron’s face coming into view as Keith came to.

“Not anymore,” Kuron had a slight smile on his face. “So, yes. You cry, I give you temporary happiness, repeat. Just let me know when you want to go back!”

“Shiro told me not to go back though.” Keith sounded like a child reciting an order from a teacher.

“And you’re going to listen to that?” At Keith’s cold stare, Kuron backed off. “Fine, fine. We’ll see how long that works out. Keith took his leave then, Lance standing in the doorway as his eyes met Kuron’s. Lance only nodded towards “Shiro” as the door shut, no words coming from behind the door as Kuron returned to the book he didn’t give a shit about either.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In all honesty, Kuron just craved Keith’s touch. That’s why he taunted him relentlessly. Inserted thoughts into his mind, portrayed Shiro in such a Shiro way that Keith couldn’t _not_ want him, and the team started to ease up, thinking he improved.

He didn’t improve, he just wanted to humor the Red Paladin again.

And so, he tried to feign surprise when Keith ended up at his door again, a stoic look on his face as he locked the door behind him.

“What is it?”

“I can’t cry anymore.” Keith had come to him during certain missions after that first encounter, but he had already had tears on his cheeks. It wasn’t fun for Kuron, but he kept his end of the bargain as he let Keith go talk to Shiro. He’d always come back solemn, never satisfied, and it made Kuron wonder just how much his trick was pissing Shiro off.

It was what Haggar wanted, even if it was morally wrong. She was morally wrong, but Kuron? Part of him said he didn’t have to be.

He couldn’t help himself anymore. He had an urge. And urge to be what he was made to be.

“So you’re here because?”

“Help me cry,” Keith, the resident leader of Voltron, pilot of the black lion, oldest of the bunch not counting the princess, was currently in Kuron’s room, on his knees begging for the clone to help him cry. “Please, I’ll do anything. I just can’t anymore. Longing for him isn’t doing shit because we’ve been so busy and I just need five minutes with him--”

“So what do you want me to do?” Kuron was in disbelief, but he couldn’t ignore his excitement on the matter.

“You can’t tell me you have a skill like that and don’t have ideas.” Keith’s desperate tone was only masked by the sultry look in his eye.

Oh.

No, no. Keith couldn’t be implying that.

Shiro was a _freak_ , but Kuron? Kuron was an animal. A _monster._ Keith had no idea.

But here he was, asking for it, and Kuron obliged, if only to get what he wanted out of it.

That soft skin.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_“Keith, Keith stop! Please! I’m not worth all that! I’m working my way to you, stop that!”_

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keith was growing desperate at this point.

He couldn’t even look at himself in the mirror anymore. He was too ashamed. Bite marks, scars, burns, dried wax from god knows when, rings around his wrists from cuffs too tight.

He went to places he never thought he’d see with Kuron, and what hurt the most was how he’d cry for Shiro throughout all of it.

That wasn’t Shiro, but he couldn’t get it through his head after all this time. And he felt guilty, because Kuron was _hurting_ him. Though consensual, Shiro would _never_ , even if Keith asked. Yet here he was, orgasming at the thought of Shiro dragging his blade down his chest, the lightest of cuts that still brought Keith to tears.

Tears. Tears. It was all about _Tears._

And yet Keith couldn’t look at himself, because he truly looked sick. Abused. Bruises lined his sides, bags under his eyes. He couldn’t sleep. Moving was a pain. But he did it to himself. Asked for it. Hid it from the team, but finally after one last conversation with Shiro, found himself in a position he never thought he’d be in.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_“You can’t hide what you’re doing from me. That paladin suit is like an outfit made of glass as far as Black’s concerned. She can see every mark he’s made on you. I can see it.” Shiro snatched a rose petal from the bunch, clenching his fist as it turned to ash in his hands._

_“But it’s letting me come here! See you! It’s helping us keep our sanity with one another-”_

_“But is it?” Shiro shot back, causing Keith to lose his balance as the older man pursued him. “You’re two seconds from dropping dead, and you keep hurting yourself to see me. Are you truly that devoted to me? Because if so, maybe I should let you go-”_

_“Don’t you love me, Shiro?” Keith whimpered. He was so out of character, it almost made Shiro sick. What his death was doing to his partner. Something he couldn’t figure out how to stop._

_“You know I do, which is why if I ever see you in here again, I’ll stop trying to find a way back to you.” That got Keith’s attention._

_“What?” Keith’s voice was small._

_“I told you when you first came here to stay away. Don’t let a tear fall. Stay sane, stay happy, and what have you done? The complete opposite!”_

_“Because I need you, Shiro! I can’t do this alone!”_

_“I’m one with Black! You aren’t alone!” Shiro watched as three roses almost finished forming this time around, causing his chest to twinge in pain. “I’m by your side all the time, but if you keep doing this you aren’t going to be by mine when I return!”_

_“And what if you don’t return, Shiro? Then what?”_

_“Then I guess we’ll both be lost.”_

_“No, we’ll both be here!” The thought almost excited Keith, to the point he was holding onto Shiro for dear life._

_“No, I’ll be here, for I’m one with Black,” Shiro couldn’t stop himself from crying at this point. “But you’ll just be dead. You aren’t connected to your lion like I am.”_

_“I can start--”_

_“No, Keith. You’d be dead. Lost to me. Don’t put me through that, and stop putting yourself through this.” Shiro was on his knees, crying into Keith’s torso as the last petal stuck to the flower._

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keith came to in a tub full of rose petals, his hand resting on his torso as if Shiro’s head was still there, hair tickling his abs as Keith carded a hand through it.

But it was just Keith, lying in the tub as Kuron drew a bath around him. Petals in the water, rose oil incense filling the air. It was all too tempting, Kuron’s eyes full of nothing but lust.

Desire.

It was in that moment Keith knew he was losing it. He had to stop. But it was all too much for him.

But he found as Kuron took care of him, he had no reason to cry.

He also realized Kuron must have felt bad, as gentle as he was being giving Keith a bath to hide any evidence from his past work.

“He visited me,” Kuron spoke into the water, washing an old blood stain off Keith’s arm as Keith kept his eyes in the water. “Takashi. Told me to stop, or he’d have me killed.”

“And he scares you?” That genuinely stunned Keith.

“Considering he’s me, and I am him, yes. I’m at his mercy. I was truly only doing what _you_ wanted. What I thought he wanted.”

“I just want him back.” Keith choked out, wiping the tears before he let Kuron notice them fall.

“I know. I hope you get him back one day.” _But not at the expense of me_ , Kuron thought to himself.

He wasn’t done clothing the world in crimson petals yet.

**Author's Note:**

> I should probably be writing some fluff to bring more happiness into the fandom but here we are with this quality mess.
> 
> If you want to yell at me about this or see what other masterpieces I create, see me over at;
> 
> Tumblr: ello-rxchello (Need more blogs to follow! I want to say hi to you! :))  
> Youtube: Rxchello (Shitpost vids for years lel)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Have a good day <3


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